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How To Pack For A Vacation In San Francisco and Sonoma In Just Two Carry-On’s

“If you’re going to San Francisco
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
If you’re going to San Francisco
You’re gonna meet some gentle people there”
– “San Francisco” by Scott McKenzie

I’ve been humming the soft melody of this famous song as I pack my carry-on today for my upcoming trip to San Francisco.

Problem: I don’t own any flowers to put in my hair. #NotAHippie

As a teenager, I watched the Forrest Gump movie several times and owned the soundtrack – both of which featured this song. To me, this classic tune befits the free-spirited history of the city of San Francisco, and reminds me of the open-minded nature of its residents. Similar to New York City’s history, San Francisco was built by dreamers.

Chinatown in SF with trolley going down the street

As you read in last week’s blog post, I’ve planned several types of activities for my upcoming vacation. I’ll admit I am by no means an expert on packing for San Fran in the springtime since the only other time I’ve been was in December. That said, I’m going to take you all along for the ride as I piece together my SF springtime wardrobe and other travel essentials.

The first thing I did was check the weather to understand how many layers I would need each day. The difficult aspect is that I will be in the city of San Francisco for two-thirds of the trip, where the highs are estimated to be in the low 60’s next weekend. However, on Saturday and Sunday I will be in Sonoma County where the highs will be 15 degrees warmer in the upper 70’s!

As a result, I need to pack both dresses AND jeans – major bummer when it comes to saving space. On top of that, the expected temperature variance means that I’ll need to bring BOTH sandals and closed-toed walking shoes, along with a pair of nice shoes for fancier restaurants. Three pairs of shoes – eeeeek! Thank god Derek’s brother miraculously has a hair dryer at his apartment so I don’t need to bring my own!

Anyway, without further ado, here’s how I’ve packed for SF in two carry-on’s.

These are all of the things that I am packing in my roller duffle (top left corner)

(2) toiletries bags

(1) for liquids

(1) for non-liquids

Unpacked toiletries bags

Packed toiletries bags

(1) umbrella

(1) bag of instant coffee and oatmeals for the mornings

(2) leather belts

(2) pairs of jeans

(1) pair of shorts

(1) black skinny stretchy fabric pants – wearing on the plane

(1) wool jacket – wearing on the plane

(1) canvas jacket

(1) black cardigan sweater

(1) blue linen blazer

(1) light weight zip up sweatshirt

(2) good quality cotton tshirts

(2) ¾ sleeve blouses – wearing one on the plane

(2) sleeveless blouses

(2) dresses

(2) black cami’s – wearing one on the plane

(1) tshirt for sleeping

(1) pair of cotton capris for sleeping

(8) pairs of underwear

(1) strapless bra

(1) regular bra

(6) pairs of socks

(1) pair of black waterproof ankle boots – wearing on the plane

(1) pair of fashionable sneakers

(1) pair of black strappy sandals

(1) hair straightener

(1) set of earplugs

(1) makeup bag

My makeup bag (I love cosmetics)

(1) small bag of jewelry and hair accessories

(1) evening purse

(1) daytime cross-body bag

(2) lingerie bags for dirty clothes separation

Just like with my packing guides for Europe and Florida, I’ve been able to pare down my packing list to just the essentials that I know I will need, plus one or two extra outfits – just in case. (I mean…I’m AM a girl!)

Everything is packed and ready to go!

It took a LITTLE effort, but the duffle bag zipped all the way closed

Because I focused on the essentials, I don’t expect to have to buy anything extra on this trip. As you saw last week, this trip is going to be pretty expensive despite only being gone for six days, so the less things I need to pick up in SF, the better.

To close, I have to be honest with you: my boyfriend and I will probably ship home a few cases of wine to our apartment as Sonoma County souvenirs. But…I mean…it’s not like I’d ever pack numerous bottles of wine in my carry-on anyway so…no harm no foul for this packing post!

About Me

I live in New York City, where I work in Media Strategy and Planning for a global brand. In my spare time I budget and plan for adventures. I think I'm getting good at it - but you'll have to judge for yourself!